Do cyclists annoy you?

[GAIAjohan]

To be sure whether a cycling path is mandatory or not is pretty easy here:

= mandatory for cyclists

= mandatory for mopeds and cyclists

= advised for cyclists, but they are allowed to cycle on the main road.

 

[Chris Butcher]

I agree with some of your points James , but not others.

I don't like the term "do cyclists annoy you" because not everyone is like that

Our government is constantly telling us to use other modes of transport. If they make those more expensive (tax) they aren't going to get used. With regards to insurance, that's a bit of a grey area I think. Here's why.

Insurance, if it is optional, is great. I've looked into it and for cyclists, it is VERY cheap. However the very issue I have with compulsory insurance is the same with car insurance - for me, I'm 20 years old, living in a not so affluent area of town, so it's not going to be cheap to start off with. I am absolutely convinced that half the reasons prices are high for younger people is because they are keen to get out on the roads, and so the companies charge these extortionate fees because its legally required to have insurance, and because people are keen to drive, these companies can get away with charging almost anything they want. If cycle insurance was required by law, a simliar thing would happen (obviously not to the same degree, it wouldn't be anywhere near as expensie, but I'm sure you see my point).

These cyclists that you describe are very much in the minority. I cycle to and from work, and Leeds isn't the most cycle friendly city. That said, most drivers do give respect to cyclists here so that's not really a problem, and I must say that most of the cyclists I see are sticking to the rules too.

Unfortunately, the minority's actions mean we all get painted with the same brush .

 

[GAIAjohan]

Watch this to learn some more about our cycle lanes:

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

I own a semi-recumbent tricycle, and when the weather permits, I love to take it out on trips. We have bicycle lanes here in Western Australia, but - aside from the scenic bike routes on the coastal roads - they can only really be found on some highways and a few major roads in town. Even then, they are painted on.
See, being a trike, my contraption is very wide, and because of this, there's less maneuverability and a larger target area for me to be hit by a careless driver. I don't feel safe on an open road or in a bicycle lane, because all the roads in my area are dominated by trucks and buses (as well as drivers who have more engine capacity than common sense). So I ride on the footpath... while no-one has gotten angry at me for doing this, I still feel like I'm impeding people whenever I ride past a dog walker or a jogger. I mean, I'm the one pulling off to let them past, but still...

If we were to implement the Dutch solution over here, I think conditions would be much better.

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

Well here it's a constant battle by ignorant motorists and ignorant cyclists about who "owns" the road. The city in the last few years put "in city" cycling paths but at the expense of good traffic flow for cars. The cycling paths are only on one side of the road, you can go either way on it, which is dangerous and they are narrow. Next time i'm near one i'll try and shoot a video of cyclists using it.

 

[GAIAjohan]

Well here it's a constant battle by ignorant motorists and ignorant cyclists about who "owns" the road. The city in the last few years put "in city" cycling paths but at the expense of good traffic flow for cars. The cycling paths are only on one side of the road, you can go either way on it, which is dangerous and they are narrow. Next time i'm near one i'll try and shoot a video of cyclists using it.

Two way cycle lanes don't have to be dangerous, but they have to be at least 3 cycles next to each wide.. 3 guys cycling next to each should be possible on a two way cycle lane..
http://g.co/maps/r3xux - between the houses and the trees is a two-way cycle lane.

http://g.co/maps/5bzt2 - This road has two cycle lanes, one on each side. These are a lot narrower and are only for one direction. (of course)

http://g.co/maps/jzxu5 - This road has two lane, but they're waide. Both lanes are for both directions. This because the road inbetween is dangerous (avg @ 90kmh), and people from either side of that road should be able to drive to each direction. Until a place where there are traffic lights or a tunnel under the road, so they can pass the road safely.

http://g.co/maps/v33pm - One of the few remaining places on the countryside where there is an official cycle lane not separated from the road (These were more common at the beginning of the 90's). As you can see it's very wide, but on these only one direction is allowed.

http://g.co/maps/f47vv - In cities it's not always possible to have separate cycle lanes, as you can see..

http://g.co/maps/e46nj - In forestry areas you may find some very narrow cycle lanes, but I love these, because of what you can see when you're cycling. And yep, this one is a two-way cycle lane. ;lol